The Avatar Saga: Fire & Water
by Sarcastic-Bludger
Summary: When Zuko woke screaming, it was always Katara that handed him a cup of hot tea and held him while he relaxed. When Katara suffered panic attacks it was Zuko who calmed her down and held her while she cried. It seemed to the entire team that the fire bender and the water bender belonged together. They just didn't know it. (Takes place after Aang beats the Fire Lord)
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: Unsurprisingly, I own nothing. **

* * *

Prologue:

He and I were very good friends. At least, that's what we chose to let the others think. I knew how upset Aang would've been three years ago had he understood the true extent of the relationship between Zuko and I. Contrary to popular belief; we weren't friends who enjoyed antagonizing each other. We were close friends who saw something in each other that no one else could see.

I knew what he meant to me. He understood what I would be to him. They say mankind used to exist with two heads, four arms and four legs. At least until the Gods had a need to punish man. When they punished man, they did so by splitting them in half. The punishment would then be for man to spend forever searching for the one who completes his heart.

That was what Zuko was to me. That was what I was to him. Aang couldn't understand that. He would choose not to. Maybe Sokka could've. Maybe that was who Sokka and Suki were to each other. I wouldn't know. Sokka and I rarely see each other now.

Zuko understood the dark bit of me that Aang didn't believe existed. The day I found my mother's murderer, I intended on killing him. I don't know what stopped me from murdering Yon Rha. I don't know why I didn't kill him. My only guess is that Zuko had something to do with it.

The same way Zuko understands that bit of me, I understand who he is. I know how he struggles each day not to have his father executed. I know how he longs to torture the man until he releases the information Zuko needs to find his mother.

Aang could never understand that.

I love Aang. I always have. I always will. He is my best friend. He is a necessary part of my family. The only issue? Aang doesn't understand me. There was a time when I wished he would. There was a time when I longed for Aang to understand me so that he could love me the way he thought he did.

He never could. Eventually I realized that. It wasn't until Zuko joined our party that I fully understood what I was missing with Aang. I did my best to make my lack of interest in Aang known. Finally, light dawned for my young, Avatar friend. He understood what I wasn't telling him.

Needless to say, I was unsurprised when two years after the fall of the Phoenix King, Aang and Toph announced their relationship. Needless to say, no one was surprised when Zuko announced his intention to marry me at the very same dinner.

It hasn't happened yet. I'm busy helping to reconstruct North Water Kingdom. I'm also busy trying to help the Southern Water Kingdom, my birth place, progress. My home village was hopelessly behind with technology, education and other movements that have happened in the last, well, many years. I found it my duty to help them progress the way Zuko was trying to rebuild the Fire Kingdom from the ground.

It will eventually happen though. Even my father acknowledges that there is an undeniable connection between Zuko and I. I don't know what it stems from, unless it comes from the myth of soul mates.

Aang is my best friend. Zuko is my soul mate.

Sokka is my guardian. Zuko is my protector.

Toph understands. Zuko just… knows.

Zuko always knows.

* * *

**AN: **So this is obviously the prologue to a new story. This is my first attempt at anything Avatar: The Last Airbender. This is going to be Zutara (Also very, very obvious), as that is my favorite pairing for this fandom. The other pairings are Toph/Aang (Yeah, I don't know how that's going to work out either) and Suki/Sokka. This story has no plot outline, so don't expect rapid updates. It is also very much a back burner project while I work on Seasons Saga: Winter. Anyway, I hope people like this.


	2. Chapter One: The Letter and the Arrival

**Disclaimer: Still don't own anything.**

* * *

Chapter One: The Letter and the Arrival

A letter from Uncle Iroh could mean one of three things: a, he wants me to visit; b, he wants to know when Zuko and I will give him grandchildren or c, something has gone wrong in the Fire Nation. In the case of this letter, it was the last. The letter, penned in such nice calligraphy, brought some of the worst news I'd received in my life.

Ozai escaped. It was true that the previous Fire Lord had no bending. That didn't disillusion any of us. We all knew what Ozai was capable of, even without his bending. The man would simply recruit benders to his cause in return for a promise of power once he regained his throne. After all, there were plenty of people in the Fire Nation who resented Zuko and longed for Ozai's return.

Immediately, I penned letters to Sokka and Aang: they would explain what was going on. I ran from my home on the far end of the village, where the healer's sector was being developed, to my father's home where the warriors were stations. Normally, even the chieftain of our village would live with his family; however, neither Sokka nor I lived with him anymore. None of his family lived with him, so Dad chose to live by himself with the warriors.

I ignored the appreciative glances I received from some of the younger warriors. If Zuko was here, they would be frightened right back into their huts. If Sokka was here, they'd just be beaten. In other words, neither of the two needed to know about the looks.

I found Dad in the middle of a training session. The session was an entry level test for some of the younger boys of our tribe. I smiled. It'd been a long time since I saw this type of training. Sokka never really got this experience.

"Katara!" My father's happy greeting brought the attention of everyone within fifty feet. I grinned and returned his greeting with a simple acknowledgment of "Dad." I gestured for him to come over to me. We needed to talk; he wasn't going to like this.

"Yes, Katara?" Dad asked. I looked around, making sure that we were far enough from the others so that we wouldn't be overheard.

"There are some things that need sorted out in the Fire Nation. Zuko and Uncle Iroh need my help. I'm going."

I didn't ask for his permission. I didn't need to. I might've still been under the control of my father by the laws of our tribe, but we both knew he didn't have that kind of power over me. I helped the Avatar defeat the Fire Lord by the time I was sixteen. Now, three years later, my father didn't understand the full extent of my maturity. He did; however, understand the full extent of my independence.

That's why he didn't argue with me.

* * *

Six weeks later, I arrived at the Chun Shui Port. This was the Fire Nation's most prominent port and therefore was an active site of trade and travel. Unfortunately, it was also the site of much thievery and other criminal acts. That reason alone is why I felt immense relief upon seeing Uncle Iroh standing there waiting for me along with Sokka.

I rushed off the boat. A member of the ship's crew sent my luggage down after me but I was too distracted by my brother to care. It'd been six months since I last saw Sokka as he spent most of his time with Suki on Kyoshi Island.

My brother picked me up, swinging me around in a hug. Briefly, I was aware of Uncle Iroh retrieving my luggage and walking away to give Sokka and I some privacy.

"I've missed you, Katara," Sokka told me. I nodded, burying my head in the spot between his neck and his shoulder. As annoying as my brother was, words could not express how much I'd missed him. He might be an annoying jerk, but he's _my _annoying jerk. Even if I do have to share him with Suki now.

"I've missed you too, Sokka, but where is Aang and the others?"

"I sent them ahead up to the Palace. Zuko and the others are waiting for us there. Are you ready to go?"

I nodded. It'd been almost nine months since I last saw Zuko. I couldn't wait to see him. Nor could I wait to see any of our other friends.

After Sokka released me, I hugged Uncle Iroh. The man was just a tea-obsessed, teddy bear who happened to have an excellent grasp on matters of State. He was also Zuko's only father figure and his closest advisor. That meant that the man was incredibly important to me- something that could never change.

"I have also missed you, Miss Katara. I believe my nephew has as well."

I ducked my head, knowing my cheeks were flushed bright red. "I should hope so, Uncle Iroh, as he intends to marry me." I touched the necklace that rested around my neck. In keeping with true Water Tribe traditions, Zuko insisted on carving me an engagement necklace. Now I wore my mother's necklace as the choker it had always been, while Zuko's necklace rested a little farther down my neck.

"He doesn't just intend to marry you, Miss Katara. Not a day goes by that my nephew fails to mention you. He simply glows when he speaks of you. I have no doubt that come Hell or high water, my nephew is going to marry you. It's not an intention to him. It is a necessity."

I smiled. "Good. It's a necessity to me too."

* * *

In reality, I know the trip to the palace only took a couple of hours. In fantasy, it felt like a much longer period of time. Of course it did! I was on my way to see my fiancé, my fiancé who I had not seen it many months! It would've felt like triple the time to anyone.

I did not know how Zuko would greet me. We were both very private people. We also tried to consider everyone else's feelings. While Aang was happily in a relationship with Toph, we still didn't want to rub our relationship in his face. I also didn't think Sokka really wanted to see his little sister kiss a man who once tried to kill her.

Uncle Iroh maintained polite conversation between the three of us as we made our way to the Palace. Never once was the fallen Fire Lord brought up. It was like an elephant in the room however, and I knew it would be seen before the night was over. After all, that's why we were all there, wasn't it?

When the carriage pulled up to the very front of the castle, there was a small crowd waiting outside. The crowd consisted of Suki, Toph, Aang, surprisingly Ty Lee and Momo. I looked for Zuko and smiled when I saw him hanging back behind our group of friends.

Sokka got out first in order to help both Uncle Iroh and myself out of the carriage. I was being smothered in affection by the time my feet brushed the ground. I found myself gasping for air after several seconds. I didn't like crowds, and I certainly didn't enjoy being suffocated. The combination of the two was enough to bring on a panic attack.

The sound of a throat clearing made the world still. "I would appreciate it if you didn't squeeze my fiancé to death, thank you."

I felt the easy smile slip onto my face that always seemed to come out around Zuko. Nothing else mattered. I was here. Zuko was here.

We were together.

We would prevail.


	3. Chapter Two: Exhaustion and Blaze

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the new plotline (anything that isn't canon) and the original characters Ayame and Arata.

* * *

**Chapter Two: Exhaustion and Blaze**

_ Unknown_

On a deeper level, this world makes sense. There are four elements so that each element balances each other. Earth balances air. Air balances earth. Fire balances water. Water balances fire. In retrospect, that should mean that there only _has _to be two elements, but that assumption is incorrect.

All four elements must work together to create a balanced union. Water must be able to cancel out fire and support earth. Air must be able to support earth but conquer fire. Fire conquers earth and pollutes air. Some would say that fire should be done away with. This is incorrect as well.

For life to be created, things must be destroyed. Rebirth only comes from the ashes of the fallen. As true as all this is, I hesitate to belief in this philosophy, because it is the philosophy that a man who could have been great once adopted. I hesitate to believe this philosophy for fear of becoming something that must be taken down, much like a man once was.

For all who adopt this ideology face a certain internal struggle. It becomes superbly simple to believe that demolishing the earth and rebuilding it from scratch is the way to go. It becomes almost easy to plan world domination.

The idea of perfecting the world stops being an idea. It becomes an obsession.

Katara was the perfect balance to Zuko. He was fire. She was water. They countered each other. They thrived on each other. It wasn't just their bending. They bounced off each other like nothing else in the world could ever matter.

Katara was kindness where Zuko could be cruel. Zuko fought and Katara healed. Zuko was the provider and protector while Katara was the nurturer and teacher. He was the patriarch. She was the matriarch.

It made perfect sense that the two were attached to each other. They rarely left each other's sides while on the search for Ozai. Who could blame them? No one. It was impossible to blame them. They were fragile. Together, they were more like stoneware and less like porcelain.

Zuko was always hesitant when facing his father, even indirectly. Katara could not hesitate, for fear of losing Zuko forever. Zuko could not be the temperamental dragon he'd been so many times before, for fear of losing Katara.

He had to be careful not to bend lightning. She had to be careful not to bend blood. Both could be done if either lost their tempers. Both happened when they finally apprehended Ozai.

* * *

_Katara_

"What's that?" Sokka demanded, pointing to a cloud of dark smoke forming over a concentrated area below them. It was odd, the positioning of that cloud. To me, it looked like there may be a town burning beneath them.

I hoped not.

"Land just outside that area, Aang. I don't think we can bypass this even if it doesn't have anything to do with Ozai," Zuko commanded. The younger boy complied, gently leading Appa into an easy descent. The Bison didn't really want to land near the smoke, but Aang had a way of convincing him to do what he wanted him to do.

"Zuko, you realize we're all tired, right?" Suki asked softly.

My fiancée closed his eyes for a brief second. "Yes, I know, Suki, but I really think this might be him. It's possible, isn't it? It wouldn't be unlike my father to burn down a town if it suited him."

I looked at him with sympathy, not pity, in my eyes.

"He's not your father, Zuko, whatever your blood might say. Uncle Iroh has been more of a father to you than that man has ever been."

I hesitated even to call Ozai a man, but knew Zuko would disagree with me if I called him anything but.

"I wish that were true, Katara."

Toph snorted from her place beside Aang. "Come on, Hothead! You know it's true. Katara has this habit of usually being right. It's really annoying honestly."

Maybe I had the good nature to look down and blush instead of retaliating. Really, I was just glad to have a reason to be good natured. The last few weeks had been hard on all of us.

First, there was the lack of preparation. We had no real supplies, no plan and no information to go on.

Then, there was the lack of action. When we'd had a mission the first time, there was a new twist every other day. The adrenaline kept us going so that we were rarely bogged down by endless hours of flying. This time, there were no angry fire kingdom heirs to avoid, no need to prevent Jet from destroying an entire village and it wasn't necessary to fight a seemingly innocent old woman who tried to teach me bad things.

Finally, there was the close proximity. Again, it was different during our first mission. Much of the time it had been the three of us: Sokka, Aang and I. When Toph was added, it wasn't that hard to adjust. This time, the group consisted of Suki and Zuko in attend to Sokka, Toph, Aang and me. We also had no ability to land without the possibility of information about them being taken to Ozai.

In other words, we were tired, hungry, and fed up with being around each other. We would be glad for this to be done and over with. Hopefully, it would be done and over with sooner rather than later.

I was sure how much more of this any of us could take.

* * *

It wasn't Ozai. The disappointment the gang felt upon finding out the fire was started by a child fire bending without supervision could be felt around the nation. Also, Zuko was just really upset about the whole "fire bending without supervision" thing. That was dangerous, and stupid.

Zuko didn't like people who were dangerous or stupid. He didn't like separating families either. Unfortunately, the law was clear.

If a child was neglected, then he or she was removed from their current home and taken to another family who could care for them until the parents were deemed fit to parents. Usually, the child stayed within the same village and simply lived with another family.

That would've been the case for this too. One thing changed it.

A child was injured

The child was a girl around the age of five by the name Ayame. She was not a fire bender. In fact, it was the girl's brother, Arata that was the fire bender. She was small for her age; not unhealthy looking, just small.

Her injury; however, was on her eye. I knew, immediately, upon seeing it that Zuko would make this more personal than he should. He would connect with the girl because of where her injury was located.

I was right, of course. Within five minutes of seeing the girl and her injury, Zuko was speaking to her just outside the edges of the border. I didn't blame him. He could understand Ayame in a way none of the others could. He would also be no help putting out the fires. His temper would probably make them worse anyway.

The fires weren't as bad as I originally thought. They had been controlled and kept to a small area of three or four houses. There were few injuries to heal too. Most of the injuries were to the elderly who couldn't move as fast as the others.

Then there was Ayame's burn that she would need to look at. I was unsure of whether or not Zuko would actually let me tend to that though. I hoped he did. Ayame didn't have to live with the scar that Zuko was forced to contend with every day.

I approached them quietly. my hands held a ball of water. I kept it moving as I walked, not wanting to have to retrieve more. Healing water was best found in a moving, fresh water stream; the only stream I'd found like that was ten minutes outside the village.

I knelt in front of the girl like Zuko was. Ayame looked at me with wide eyes. There were tear tracks on her cheeks that made my heart hurt. Any child in pain made me upset. It was something about fire injuries that doubled that pain.

"You're a water bender," Ayame whispered in awe.

I smiled kindly. "Yes, I am. My name is Katara, but I'm also a healer. Would you like me to heal your injury?"

Ayame hesitated. She looked at the water in my hands and then thought about the pain around her eye. She didn't want to deal with the pain anymore.

"Yes, please."

"Very well. This shouldn't take long, Ayame. Just relax."

Zuko watched me heal the child with tender, controlled hands. I knew exactly what I was doing. I knew how to handle the young girl and keep her from being in more pain. Rather than break my concentration, he simply left as quietly as possible to speak to Ayame's parents.

Correction. He left as quietly as possible to yell at Ayame's parents.

* * *

A/N: I am SO sorry about how long this break was. I imagine people probably thought it was abandoned. The real problem is, I'm a little too focused on one of my HP fanfictions and writing original stories. Also, school is a huge time issue.

It doesn't help that I have little to no inspiration for this story. I like it. I want to keep going with it. I'm just unsure of what I want to do. I don't; however, expect it to be any more than ten chapters. Probably seven at the least and ten at the most. I have no idea when a next update will happen. It could be this month or it could be May. I doubt it will be this week (OGT testing). Anyway, my point is: as long as it may take, and as short as it will be, I WILL finish this. I just won't make promises about how or when.

Anyway, who likes Ayame? Who thinks Ayame should become a part of a small family that needs to become a little bigger? If anyone is confused about why Zuko can pull both Ayame and her brother from the parents' guardianship, and the entire village if he chooses to, just ask me. It wasn't explained very well in the chapter, I know that.

I hope people liked it. Please favorite, follow and review!


	4. Chapter Three: Suspicion and Leads

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender. I do own Ayame and Arata.**

_AN: It was brought to my attention that I flipped from 1st person to 3rd person. That was completely accidental. I will, at some point, go back and change Chapter Two back to 1st person. The rest of this story will be in 1st person, probably alternating between Zuko and Katara. I'm sorry about the confusion._

* * *

Chapter Three: Leads and Suspicion

Our group huddled together to discuss this new development. We couldn't have young children on the trip with us, but we couldn't leave them in this village, Kirabi, either. Zuko was quite upset about the way Kirabi treated firebending children. Apparently, the villagers basically ignored the bending and kids either figured out how to control it, or died trying.

"Do either of the kids have any special abilities besides bending?" Sokka asked. I frowned. There was something in Ayame. I could feel it, but I couldn't quite place what it was. It was similar to the way water bending felt; that couldn't be right. Children didn't manifest bending abilities that weren't part of their heritage.

For example, there is water bending in my blood. My mother was a bender, and there were water benders in my father's family. Zuko has fire bending on both sides of his family as well. Since I have no fire bending in my family, it's impossible for me to be a fire bender. The same goes for Zuko; however, any child we had would have the ability to bend one or the other because they would have both water and fire in their line.

Ayame has fire bending her family. She and Arata have to for Arata to be a bender. I would consider the possibility of water bending her heritage, but the more isolated fire nation islands tend to be _really _isolated.

"I don't think so, Sokka, but I did feel something off about Ayame."

"Something off?" Suki echoed, "What could it possibly be?"

I bit my lip and glanced at Zuko. "I have no idea."

"Special abilities aside, what are we going to do with them? Obviously, any fire benders on this island need to be taught to use their ability," Toph said, "but the kids need something more. They shouldn't be neglected like this."

I couldn't take it anymore. Toph was upset; I could feel it. This situation was far too familiar to her, maybe not exactly iin the way that her family treated her, but neglect works in many ways.

"Toph, we aren't going to let them be neglected anymore. We'll send Ayame and Arata to Uncle Iroh. I'm sure he'd love to have young ones around. As soon as we're done with this mission, you and I will figure something else out."

I tilted my head, thinking about it. "We'll start some kind of child protection that prevents neglect and abuse."

I saw the barest hint of a smile on my friend's face. Good. Toph rarely smiled anymore. She needed to. She looked so pretty when she did.

Our discussion was interrupted by a messenger hawk flying overhead. The hawk landed on Zuko's shoulder, and Zuko responded immediately. We all knew what it would be.

He unwound the twine which held the letter to the hawk's leg. I looked over his shoulder to look at what it set. My frustrated sigh reminded Zuko that not all of us, by that I mean none of us besides him, could read fire nation script.

He smiled weakly, almost apologetically. My heart melted and my hand drifted to my betrothal necklace.

"My men searching Ba Sing Se informed me that they believe they've sighted Ozai."

Silence.

This was interesting.

* * *

"Why would they even let Ozai in?" Suki mused. The Kyoshi warriors were assisting in the reconstruction of Ba Sing Se. Reconstruction meaning helping those native to Ba Sing Se readjust to a kingdom without Fire Nation rule, but we had another reason for placing the Kyoshi warriors in charge of Ba Sing Se momentarily.

They helped us by spying.

Many, especially in the Earth Kingdom, were still loyal to Ozai. They wanted Zuko gone and Ozai brought back. They still believed him to be a great fire bender who would revolutionize the world. They didn't know that Ozai was simply a pathetic man who could light a candle without flint and steel.

"They aren't supposed to allow anyone entrance or exit from the city without proper identification and passport."

Suki was ranting. Sokka was watching in amusement. Toph and Aang were sitting at the base of Appa's neck guiding him on the path to Ba Sing Se. Zuko and I were sitting toward the back, just cuddling.

It was an odd experience, cuddling with Zuko. Most of the time, we were far too focused on other things to simply take pleasure in the other's presence. Granted, we were currently worried. We were worried about Ayame and Arata, about how Uncle Iroh was handling the Fire Nation, about catching Ozai and returning everything to normal. Actually, I was worried about catching Ozai. Zuko was absolutely terrified of facing him period.

He still hadn't found his mother, and that hurt him on many levels. I, at least, had had the opportunity to get revenge for my mother. I'd chosen not to of course, and I knew it was only Zuko's presence that allowed me to do that, but Zuko faced a more ethical issue than I did.

For him to get true revenge, he had to kill his father. He couldn't do that. Very few people could. So the only way he could come close to revenge, and what he now believed to be his redemption, was to find his mother and restore her to a place of glory within the Nation.

I was torn from my musing when Zuko's arm around my shoulders tightened. He buried his face in my hair. He breathed in. I laughed softly.

"I don't understand why you like how I smell so much, especially since I haven't had a proper bath in days," I murmured. He smiled. I could feel it against my skin.

"You still smell like you, Katara. Don't forget, I haven't had a bath in days either."

I snuggled deeper into his side. He moved his arm to rest on my waist. Neither one of us was going to let go any time soon.

"I'm worried about Ayame."

He nodded.

"She's got psychological damage too, not just physical."

"I know. Don't forget, Katara. I know what it means to be scarred by a family member."

I moved so I could look him in the eyes. "I don't see your scar, Zuko, but when I am reminded of it, all I see is a man who made a mistake and was cast out for it. I do not see an honorless boy, or a teen in need of redemption. I see a man who made a mistake, and was never forgiven for it."

"Oh, come on, lovebirds! You're making me sick. Can we _please _talk about battle strategy now?" Toph shouted.

I think most of us groaned in unison.

* * *

_AN: Okay, so long wait- again. Seasons Saga: Winter only has two parts of an epilogue left before I turn my full attention to this. I think it's going to have between four and six more chapters. Um, my question is- do you guys want to read about what happens after the showdown with Ozai? I only need two more chapters to reach the climax, so do you want wedding, kids, happy ever after or just end it after the big battle? It's up to you guys. I'm on break so I can write whatever_.


	5. Chapter Four: Honor and Altercation

**Disclaimer: I don't own this. I'm not a billionaire/millionaire/trillionaire/whateverthehellthesepeopleareinaire**

* * *

Chapter Four: Honor and Altercation

_Zuko _

Ba Sing Se was exactly as I remembered it. The preferred memory being celebrating the end of the war, not betraying Katara. I still don't quite understand why she forgave me for that.

Katara was energetic when we landed. It amused me that she would prefer her feet firmly planted on the ground when she's actually closer to water in the sky. She was far too excited to remember to be logical, and so it was Suki who grabbed the Earth Kingdom clothing that we kept in my Uncle's tea shop so we could be incognito.

Twenty minutes later, and we congregated to become a group of young friends enjoying a free day. At least, that's what we looked like to everyone else.

We saw Ozai near the palace. He was gaunt. He was oily-haired and wearing ragged clothing. He had a haggard expression about him.

Suki, Sokka and Toph wanted to go after him immediately. Aang was the same way, if a little hesitant. Katara, though, she saw my reluctance. She knew that it meant something different for me to attack than it did for any of the others.

"Toph, detain him. Do whatever you have to, but don't kill him. Zuko, talk to me," Katara whispered. I looked down at her, not on her. I could never look down on her. She was so much better than me. If anyone should look down on anyone, it should be Katara looking down on me.

She had honor. I didn't. For all my quest in search of it, I would never redeem myself for the things I did in my attempts to attain it. They, the gang, did nothing to deserve the things I did to them. They didn't deserve to be hunted or to have to fight for their lives at every turn. I did it anyway. I did all of it, and I won't ever forgive myself. I didn't understand how Katara could forgive me enough to agree to marry me.

"Zuko, he is not your life. He is not a representation of the things you've done to become the man you are. You are the man you are because you decided not to be Ozai. You are the man you are because you fought to be redeemed, not because you allowed him to continue to lead you into destruction."

I felt Katara's soft hand on my cheek, heard the sounds of fighting in the background, but I could focus only on the pools of blue staring up at me. She was right. I knew that. Katara was always right.

"We have to do this, don't we?"

"It's up to you, Zuko, how far we take this. It's your redemption, your conscience and your future on the line. How far do you want this to go? And whose help do you need to make that happen?"

I felt my resolve slide into place. My shoulders squared. It would all be okay.

"Tell the others to back off."

* * *

"You're a coward and a fool."

The words fell from my mouth easily, because they were true. We'd been on the road for _ages_ because he was too cowardly to face me head on. Maybe I wouldn't be so disgusted by him if he weren't so terrified of me.

"You have no honor."

Five years ago, those words would've sent me to my knees with tears in my eyes. Now, I could scoff at the sentence. No, I didn't always believe I had redeemed my honor, but now I knew that Ozai and I didn't have the same idea of what honor is. We didn't share values. We had different morals. Actually, I had a set of morals and Ozai lived by corrupted standards.

"No, Ozai, you have no honor. You're a hopeless scoundrel. You've lost your chance to revolutionize the world. I'm the new Firelord. I've begun reconstruction of the Fire Nation. I've made alliances with the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes and one of my closest friends is the Avatar."

"I've redeemed myself. I have honor. I have faith. I have friends and family and a wonderful fiancée who has believed in me for so very long. You? You have none of that. You lost your family. Your idea of faith is only faith in a set of corrupted values and dishonesties."

"You're nothing, Ozai, not anymore."

A single wave of fire knocked the pitiful man I once called my father to his knees.

"Now, tell me where my mother is, or I kill you."

* * *

AN: I figured that was a nice dramatic place to leave it. I'll either update tonight or the next update will be Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Also my other fic is done so I can turn my full attention to this- even if it only has like three more chapters (?)


	6. Chapter Five: Family and Faith

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot.

Chapter Five: Family and Faith

_Katara_

"She's exactly where you wouldn't expect her to be."

What did that mean?

Zuko stared at the pitiful excuse for a man. Balls of fire formed in each of his hands. That wasn't the answer, not yet anyway.

"Zuko, stop," I murmured.

"Where wouldn't you expect her to be?" I asked Zuko calmly.

"I don't know," he said through gritted teeth.

"What do you think Ozai did to her?"

"I think he locked her in some tower in a faraway corner of the planet."

I tried to ignore Ozai's hysterical laughter. I knew what the fool was getting at, but I had to make Zuko see it. Then, if Zuko didn't kill that bastard, I was going to seriously consider it.

"What's the opposite of that?" I asked him calmly. I tilted my head slightly to the right. Toph recognized the signal to bind Ozai again in a prison of earth and stone.

My arms slid around his waist and I laid my head against his chest. His fireballs disappeared when he returned the hug. Thankfully, my darling fire bending fiancée had great instincts to realize that he needed to turn off the fire before he burned me.

"The opposite of faraway?"

I sighed. Great instincts or not, all guys could be daft (that was not to say, of course, that us girls couldn't be daft at times either). Zuko was currently having a daft moment.

"Yes, Zuko, the opposite of far away."

"Right in front of me."

Understanding dawned. I looked up and saw comprehension become the dominant feature in his eyes. His hands clenched into fists.

"My mother is in the palace, isn't she?" He asked me.

I bit my lip.

"I think."

"You think."

"I'm not the one who kidnapped her and possibly locked her away for ten years!"

"If you're right, then I'm completely hopeless. She's been right under my nose this whole time."

"That's not true. He's a master of deception. You can't base anything off of how you reacted to something he did, or even failed to react, Zuko. You didn't think to look for her under your nose because, logically, it makes sense to hide her someplace else. You're not hopeless."

Again, I tilted my head. This time it was to the left. Toph took that movement as the signal to release Ozai from his earthy prison.

Zuko looked at the "man" in front of him. I think we all held our breath as we watched him come to a final decision in regards to his blood relative. He stood for a few moments, with balls of fire in his palms.

"Do you see these?" He asked.

The former Fire Lord nodded slowly. I briefly wondered why he was being even remotely cooperative. I wondered more what Zuko was going for.

"Good. Then you realize I am a bender. I happen to be very good at the art. Katara, come here."

Obediently, I stepped forward. Zuko gestured to a small puddle of water nearby. I figured he wanted me to bend, so I manipulated the liquid into little floating puddles.

Ozai stared.

"Good. You also realize that my intended is a water bender. Do you know what that means for the Fire Nation? It means that we are allying ourselves with the Southern Water Tribe. As a consequence of Katara's familial relations, we are also aligning ourselves with the Northern Water Tribe. Through my friendship, yes- friendship, with the Avatar, I am forging relations with the Earth Kingdom because of his betrothed. I have the Kyoshi Warriors on my side. I have every water bender in existence, and most other Earth Kingdom citizens. The vast majority of Fire Nation citizens prefer my rule to yours."

Zuko made a motion with his hands. A slight step of the foot from Toph, and Ozai was on the ground. Zuko knelt in front of him so they sat eye-to-eye.

"Do you really think that you're going to fail?"

Ozai stared. So did the rest of us. This was _not _how we'd envisioned this confrontation going.

"You're going to fail because I have more willing support than you ever had period. You're going to fail because I have Katara on my side, and Suki and Sokka and Aang and Toph. You're going to fail because I have people who care about me, not people who fear me, helping me. You're going to fail because I didn't turn my back on Uncle Iroh, and you did."

He leaned back on his heels, still looking at the man he'd once adored.

"Is my mother in the Palace?"

"Your intended has already told you that much."

"I want it confirmed."

"Yes."

"Why are you being so helpful?"

"I'm not being helpful to you, boy. I'm preventing further annoyances for myself."

"Right. That isn't going to work. I'm currently trying very hard not to send you flying off the face of the earth in a pile of ashes. Do you honestly believe I'm going to spare you any punishment after you kidnapped my mother, massacred hundreds- thousands- of people, and then had the audacity to escape prison? Do you realize how many bouts of treason you're guilty of?"

Ozai was silent.

"It doesn't matter. You're going to be executed anyway. I spared your life once because I wanted my mother found. I don't need to spare you now."

"You won't kill me."

"Hmm, no I won't. I'll hire someone else to do it. Executioners aren't as difficult to come by as you'd think."

Zuko looked directly at Toph. "Would you mind binding him? I'm sending for some guards to escort him back to the Fire Nation while he awaits his final trial."

Toph's dumbfounded look, combined with exasperation, prompted Zuko to explain.

"I'm doing this fairly, Toph. He gets a trial. We all know what the outcome will be, but he gets a fair trial."

"Right," Toph said slowly. A second later, Ozai was bound by plant tendrils tying him to the ground. A part of me breathed a sigh of relief. Was this over?

We stood in silence while we awaited the guard. Only after Ozai was safely taken away and locked up did Zuko relax.

"See, Love, you are honorable. Most would've killed him on the spot and not bothered to give him the trial."

Zuko was silent.

I waited.

Finally, his shoulders shagged.

"Can we just go home?"

I nodded.

"I think that can be arranged."


	7. Chapter Six: Reunions and New Memories

**Disclaimer: I'm not in charge here. I don't own this. I just manipulate preexisting characters to suit my outline.**

* * *

**Chapter Six: Reunions and New Memories**

_Toph_

I've never liked the Fire Nation. It gave me some serious chills. Maybe it was spending way too long on the run trying to defeat the man in charge. Maybe it was all the bad things they'd done. I don't know, but I knew I didn't like the Fire Nation.

I tried not to like Zuko either. I spent ages trying to dislike him. I knew he'd hurt Katara more than anyone else, and I didn't like that. Katara and I could fight, but we were close enough that being around Zuko really irked me.

So, I didn't quite understand it when I was the first one to trust him. Back in the beginning of his time with us, when Katara couldn't stand to be around him and everyone else watched him like a hawk, I was the one to trust him. Until he burned me, that was when I was actually able to dislike him. I'd trusted him, and he'd hurt me.

I don't know what the turning point in our relationship was. I don't know when I stopped disliking him, started trusting him again, or even started seeing him as a good match for Katara. Actually, I do know when I realized he and Katara were a good match. It was when I realized I liked Aang, but he was in love with Katara.

It was an interesting situation actually. I liked Aang. Aang liked Katara. Katara liked Zuko. Zuko liked Katara. So, a little bit of prompting and plotting from Suki and I had Katara and Zuko getting together. That left Aang free, albeit mopey.

Anyway, back to the Fire Nation. I thought it was a creepy place, full of people who wanted to eradicate the world and rebuild it with a disturbing set of values. Now, under Zuko's rule, I realized what kind of place the Fire Nation could be.

Now, approaching the Fire Nation from the sky, I couldn't see anything about the place because I couldn't feel anything. I needed my feet to touch ground before any judgment could be placed.

My sighs must've drawn Aang's attention, because Twinkle Toes adjusted his hold on the reins to wrap an arm around my waist and keep two hands on the reins at the same time. I felt myself relax just a little. Aang's side could be quite comfortable to lean against and take a nap. He wasn't having that though.

"What's wrong, Toph?"

Sometimes I was amazed by Aang's ability to recognize female emotions. Sokka was totally hopeless at it, and Zuko was only in tune to Katara.

"I just want my feet on the ground."

He nodded slowly.

It was always an interesting experience to be around an airbender. I was an earthbender. I liked my feet firmly planted in dirt, stone, and above all: earth. He was an airbender. He wanted to feel the wind on his face, and never set foot on ground. I think him being the Avatar was the only thing that made us able to work. Air may've been his natural element, but he could understand and respect all the others.

"You want to be able to see."

"Yes."

"Would it help if I distracted you?"

I shrugged.

"Go for it, Twinkle Toes."

I knew he smiled.

"Katara and Zuko are going to get married in a few months. He's already Fire Lord. That'll make her, what, Fire Lady? Can you imagine that? The Fire Lady is actually a water bender?"

I chuckled a little bit, mostly because Aang was _almost _making fun of our friends.

"The people will have a conniption."

"We can hear you!" Katara shouted from the very back of the… saddle. Was it a saddle? It could've been. When a seat is placed on an animal's back, it's a saddle, right? So, yeah, Katara would be at the back of the saddle.

"You were meant to," I responded loud enough for them to hear over the wind.

* * *

We didn't wait for anyone to meet us. We landed in one of the courtyards of the Palace, and Zuko jumped off Appa's back. He was obviously ancy, but he stood calmly ready to help Katara down.

The moment we were all standing on the ground, Zuko took off running.

"Where are we going?" I heard Katara ask.

"To my mother's suite."

I frowned. How could his mother be in there, and he not have known?

Minutes later, we stood outside a set of tall doors. Most of us were panting. By most of us, I mean Sokka and Aang.

"Zuko, how could you not know where your mom was if she was in her own bedroom?" Suki asked the question we'd all been wondering.

"Because I haven't been in her bedroom since I discovered she was gone. There were too many memories, and there were many things I had to focus on in response to my mother's absence. My place in the kingdom was not set in stone, and I had to work to ensure it."

He turned to face the doors. A moment of hesitation. He pushed them open.

I gasped at what we saw. Laying on a bed in the middle of the chamber was a sickly woman old enough to be our mom. _Stupid Toph, of course she's old enough to be our Mom. She's Zuko's!_

"Mother?" Zuko whispered.

The woman stared at him.

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

* * *

_Katara_

I thought Zuko was going to curl up and die. It was obvious that his mother's words killed him. I couldn't imagine that. It suddenly occurred to me that losing my mother wasn't the worst possible thing in the world. Having my mother lose her memories was.

An elderly woman wandered into the room from an area off to the side. "What are you doing here?" She asked us.

"Ozai told us that his mother would be where he least expected her to be," I softly explained. I took a step forward and slipped my hand into Zuko's. He needed support right now, something he wasn't going to get from anyone but me.

"I'm so sorry, Firelord Zuko. I wasn't expecting you to ever come," the woman said. "I am Li Fan, your mother's caretaker. I know what you must be thinking, but allow me to explain."

Zuko nodded curtly.

"Your grandfather, Firelord Azulon, ordered an attack on your mother. I believe they were meant to kill her, but Firelord Ozai actually prevented that. Unfortunately, he could not prevent the damage to your mother's mind. She lost her memories. I believe that she could know you again, because she can retain memories now. It's just that she has no memories before her attack."

"Li, who are they?" Zuko's Mother asked.

"My Lady Ursa, this is your son, his intended and their friends."

Ursa looked each of us over, one by one.

"Well, come here," she ordered.

Zuko approached her slowly, pulling me along with him. I tried not to feel awkward in this situation, but I truly felt that this reunion should be between Zuko and his Mother. That's how I would've wanted it.

"You are Zuko, my son," she said calmly. Zuko nodded. She looked at me. "And you are my son's intended?"

"I'm Katara, my Lady, and yes, I am your son's intended."

"He treats you well?"

"Very well."

"Good. And why have you not visited me sooner, young man? I imagine I've missed quite a bit."

"I didn't know where you were. I don't know why you didn't leave this room."

Li Fan moved forward to answer that question. "I was instructed that she should never leave this room, lest she be targeted again. There were a select few who knew of her continued survival, but she was not to be known by anyone outside them."

"Who?" He demanded.

"Firelord Ozai and myself."

He breathed sharply. I rubbed his back.

"Zuko, there is nothing you can do about any of this now. What's done is done. Ozai is never going to interfere in our lives again. Don't try to rationalize his actions. Even the darkest man can continue to love."

He wasn't looking at me. He needed to look at me.

"Look at me, Zuko."

His movements were slow and strained. I felt better after his eyes met mine.

"Your Mother is here now. We," I gestured to my friends and myself, "are here with you. You have a chance that I will never get. You can rebuild your relationship with your mom, and have a complete family. You have a kingdom to run and a life to live. Do you understand that?"

His next move was completely deliberate, if instinctual.

He hugged me. He buried his face in my neck, and wrapped his arms around me as tightly as he possibly could.

"Thank you," he said softly.

I think he finally realized that he was his own person now. There was no one for him to please. He wasn't being controlled by any form of blackmail. He could be who he truly was. He was free to love and live. He could be happy.

Somehow, I'd helped him get there.

* * *

AN: Okay, one more chapter? The story is actually kind of finished, so there's just an epilogue left. I think everything is resolved rather nicely (?), please let me know if I left any gaping plot holes behind that need to be filled. I will gladly do so. Other than possible slips, yeah, this is over and is only waiting on its epilogue. Also, Chapter Two's perspective shift has been fixed.


	8. Epilogue: The Lord and his Lady

_Disclaimer: I'm not Nickleodeon Because I am not Nickleodeon, I came to the conclusion that Zutara is totally perfect, and thus, this story._

* * *

**Epilogue: A Lord and his Lady**

_Zuko_

It's not very often that I feel proud of anyone, or anything. I've occasionally been proud of the things I've done, and I know of others who were proud of me for things (often the same things). For example, I was proud of my choice to join up with Aang and the others. I was proud when I finally sucked up the courage to ask Katara to marry me, and I was definitely proud of her betrothal necklace.

I smiled as she walked toward me. There was only one thing left that had to happen for Katara to stay by me forever.

I had to crown her.

Katara's dress was traditional Fire Nation garb. The style adhered perfectly to standards set by previous nobility. It was fitted at the top with extra material flowing down. The heavy, layered skirt brushed the floor of the temple. There was only one variation.

Her dress was blue.

And she looked spectacular.

Katara knelt in front of me. Her eyes were facing the ground just in front of her. I smiled down at her, but she could not see.

"Waterbending Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, Daughter of Hakoda, Sister of Sokka and wife of Zuko," I paused because I still got a little giddy when I got to say that, "you are about to be crowned Fire Lady. Do you understand all that this entails?"

"I understand."

"Do you swear upon your life, soul and bending to govern the People of the Fire Nation by the laws set forth by His Royal Highness, the Fire Lord?"

"I so swear."

"Will you use your power, influence and status to protect the Law and honor the codes of this country, by no means cruelly, in all projects and judgment?"

"I will."

"As acting mother of the Fire Nation, will you provide a motherly vision to all citizens who seek your guidance?"

"I will."

"Will you raise the heirs to the throne with all the knowledge of our customs so that they may one day take the throne of the Fire Nation themselves?"

"I will."

Katara slowly rose from her kneeling position. Immediately after she straightened her body, she dropped into a deep curtsy. Her first curtsy was to me. Her second was to Uncle Iroh on my left. The third was to my mother on my right.

Then, she knelt again.

Mother handed me her crown. I placed it on her head.

I reached out a hand. Katara looked up and grinned. She slipped her hand into mine and stood gracefully. She had one last curtsy.

Her first one to her People.

* * *

_AN: It's over. Sniff. Sniff. Also, credit to the English Monarchy because I adapted those vows to make most of Katara's. Also, Katara is the Fire Lady, YAY! _


End file.
